The 8-year-old Iraqi boy, brought to Swedish Medical Center for the operation, did "extraordinarily well," said Dr. Gregory Sorensen, who observed parts of the procedure and is director of pediatric specialty care at the hospital.

"We're very hopeful" that he will be able to lead a healthy, normal life, Sorensen said.

Ali will stay in the pediatric intensive care unit for the next several days, but it was too early to tell how long he would remain in the hospital. The team of seven surgeons and three anesthesiologists doesn't anticipate additional operations.

And though pathology tests were still pending, doctors believe he suffered from advanced cystic hygroma, a tumor of the lymphatic system characterized by a large, fluid-filled sac. The congenital condition is most likely caused by a failure of the lymph system to properly connect with blood vessels in the neck.

Some concerns had surfaced after examinations revealed a more dense and vascular mass, including whether it was cancerous. The tumor turned out to be benign, Sorensen said.

Ali's condition is not uncommon and generally treated early in the West. But lack of access to proper health care in Iraq had allowed the tumor in his neck to creep to his jaw and into part of his airway, swelling to the size of a football.

If left untreated, it could have further restricted breathing and even caused death, Sorensen said.

The surgery started 11 a.m. Thursday following three hours of prep. It did not end until a pediatric plastic surgeon finished reconstruction at 2 a.m. yesterday.

Throughout the day, many well-wishers stopped by the hospital. An Aberdeen restaurant even treated the doctors to crab and "world-famous blackberry pie" on their breaks, a welcome respite from the usual vending machine or cafeteria fare.

Ali, who will be left with minor scars, was wheeled back to his room where his father, "very clearly fatigued," spent the night with his son, Sorensen said.

"We were just ecstatic" over the surgery's success, said Margaret Larson of Mercy Corps, who was instrumental in securing medical attention for Ali.

The former KING/5 broadcaster met his dad, Mousa Soudi Ayes, in Iraq this year while she was on a mission with the non-profit international aid group. Swedish and the doctors donated medical services, but Larson is raising funds to defray travel expenses.